This invention was devised and invented by Lloyd Kell and Jan Kell, and relates to a system that automatically raises and lowers a flag pole or mast (12), which may be telescoping, and with a safety flag (13) located at its terminal end, and said mast (12) being located on a boat or other water recreational vehicle (1). The flag mast (12) automatically raises when the velocity of the water vehicle (1) is traveling below approximately 5 miles per hour ("MPH") or is traveling at a wakeless velocity, and the mast (12) automatically lowers when the vehicle (1) is above approximately 5 MPH.
Throughout this specification and its appended claims, the invention disclosed herein, entitled the "Automatic Safety Flag for Boats and Water Recreational Vehicles" will be referred to as the "Automatic Safety Flag". The Automatic Safety Flag may be installed as a device into a water vehicle (1) at the time of manufacture or said vehicle (1), or may be installed or retrofitted at a later time into the water vehicle (1), and in which case is referred to as the Automatic Safety Flag device. The Automatic Safety Flag may also be marketed as a kit and may then be installed or retrofitted into a water vehicle (1), and in which case is referred to as the Automatic Safety Flag kit. Throughout this specification and its appended claims, the term Automatic Safety Flag is intended to refer to embodiments of the invention, whether a kit or an installed device.
Throughout this specification and its appended claims, the term "vehicle" or the term "water vehicle", is intended to mean boat, ship, water vessel, skiff, dory, launch, gondola, watercraft, jet ski, wave runner, and other water recreational vehicles and personal watercraft.
There are two described embodiments of the invention for raising and lowering the flag mast or pole (12), The first embodiment is electromechanical, whereby an electric motor (17) automatically raises or lowers the flag mast (12) at the desired water vehicle (1) velocities cited above, and whereby said motor (17) is controlled electrically by a speed transducer, speedometer, or the Like. The second embodiment is fluid mechanical, whereby the fluidic or water pressure in the Automatic Safety Flag device or system Keeps the flag mast (13) in the lowered position when the water vehicle's (1) velocity is approximately 5 MPH or greater, and when said water vehicle's (1) velocity drops below approximately 5 MPH or is travelling at a wakeless velocity, a loaders hand spring (52) will cause the flag mast (12) to raise. The fluidic pressure in this fluid mechanical embodiment of the Automatic Safety Flag is determined by the velocity of the water vehicle (1).